Phillips House
In 1821, four intact rooms from an earlier house were transported by ox sled to Salem's fashionable Chestnut Street to form the core of a new Federal-style mansion being constructed by Captain Nathaniel West. Nearly a century later, Anna Phillips bought the house and launched a fourteen-month renovation in the Colonial Revival style. When she, her husband Stephen Willard Phillips, and their five-year-old son moved in, they brought with them a family collection that spans five generations and blossomed during Salem's Great Age of Sail.
Phillips House is the only home on historic Chestnut Street open to the public, and it provides a glimpse into the private world of the Phillips family and their domestic staff during the early decades of the twentieth century. The kitchen, pantry, and a domestic staff bedroom, present a rarely seen picture of how the great houses functioned as new technologies were being introduced.
The unusual collection on display is representative of the Phillips’ extensive travels and interests. It includes a Hawaiian and Polynesian objects, as well as fine examples of early American furniture, Persian carpets, and an extensive collection of export porcelain. In the carriage house, visitors can view the family's collection of carriages and automobiles that spans nearly a hundred years.
Open
Tuesday - Sunday, June - October
Saturday and Sunday, November - May
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tours every half hour.
Last tour at 4:00 p.m.
Closed most major holidays.
Visit the Carriage House for a self-guided tour, available late April through mid-November.
The Phillips House is a Historic New England property.
Top photo: Phillips exterior - The Phillips House is located on picturesque Chestnut Street in historic Salem, Massachusetts. This Federal-style mansion contains a family collection of art, furniture, and artifacts that spans five generations.
Bottom photo: Library - The library was a room frequented by Stephen Willard Phillips as an office during the day and a place to relax with friends in the evening. An interesting feature in the room is the Gothic bookcase. These were one of Rantoul’s additions to the house and were used to display a portion of Stephen Willard’s large book collection. Stephen Willard enjoyed studying many aspects of history and literature. One of his biggest passions was the study of oceanic objects and peoples. Stephen Willard’s father, Stephen Henry Phillips, was the first attorney general to the kingdom of Hawaii. Stephen Willard was born in Hawaii in 1873.